The renowned Italian manufacturer Glas Italia has unveiled its new glossy headquarters located in Macherio near Milan. The 11,000-m2 steel-and-glass building has been designed by Glas Italia’s long-time collaborator, architect and designer Piero Lissoni who incorporated the original black-steel frame of what used to be an old factory and cladded it with vertical sheets of thermo-insulating U-glass.

‘The signature feature of the new building, is its external cladding, which encompasses the pre-existing factory parts into the complex of the new structure: a black steel frame supporting special thermo-insulating U-glass profiles.

‘The façade is punctuated at irregular intervals by narrow, window frames again in black steel. On the south side, a cubic structure made of reinforced slab concrete, homage of Piero Lissoni to Carlo Scarpa, dominates the building and contains an impressive conference room. The irregular façade in U-glass is partly interrupted at the ground floor by huge gates in black steel, providing access to the transit of the trucks.’

‘The main entrance is an opening in the façade, behind which lies an “open-air” atrium with plants and a green area. A walkway in concrete slabs leads into the light-flooded reception area with full height glass windows.’

‘From here the imposing self-supporting stairway in black steel and crystal glass leads to the first floor where the offices, meeting rooms, showroom and cafeteria are located. Large glass panels divide the interior spaces. The floors are covered with light-colored resin and create a breezy and open atmosphere, enhanced by the natural light entering the rooms through three big halls, whose wooden floors remark the elegance of the building and harmonize with the black steel frames of the façade.’